Harm nodded and drew him closer, kissing him gently before pulling back.This was one of those moments when he really wanted to be able to figure out what Harm was thinking, but he had nothing.Most of the time he could figure things out, but not this time.Whatever Harm was thinking was completely lost on him.
“Are you really okay with waiting?”Derek asked.
Harm used his notepad.“Waiting for something good is okay.Anticipation can be wonderful, and I’m still trying to figure things out.I don’t want to burden you or anyone else with all my crap.”He showed Derek the page.
“We all have plenty of crap to deal with.I know I do, and part of it paid me a visit in person earlier today.I have to figure out what I’m going to do about him, because I am not going to deal with William showing up all the time.We should be able to go out on a date without wondering if we are going to have a third wheel.”
Harm shrugged and pulled him tighter.Derek hated that he was bringing that kind of mess into their lives.But Harm didn’t seem to be upset about it.Oh, it was clear that Harm wanted William gone, but he seemed to be taking things in stride.It was going to be okay, Derek knew that.“I think I have too many irons in the fire.”
Those beautiful eyes held such warmth.
“I know I’m just worrying myself.I keep worrying about when William is going to show up again, if the class is going to be a success, whether the board is going to give me the director position.Sometimes I feel like I’m juggling a ton of things, and I keep expecting everything to come crashing down around me at any moment.I don’t want that to happen.I want everything to turn out right.”
“It will,” Harm wrote.“You work hard at everything you do, and the board is going to see that.The class will be a success because of it.As for William, I’ll scare the crap out of him if I have to.”He grinned as he handed Derek the note.“No worry,” Harm signed and then held him as they sat quietly, just being together.
DEREK WASas prepared as he could possibly be for anything the board might ask him.He had been through the agenda with a fine-tooth comb and made sure he had all the information on every topic.
“Good luck with the meeting,” Harm texted a few minutes before the 7:00 PM start in the meeting room of the library.These meetings were open to the public, but very few people actually showed up other than the board.
He turned on the lights and made sure the room was properly set up as the board members arrived and filed inside.He greeted each of them and shook hands as they took their seats.The board president, Grace Custer, arrived and took her place at the head of the table.She had been in her position for a decade and had seen the library through a huge building expansion.In his mind, Grace was amazing.
“Let’s get down to business, we have a lot to get through.”Everyone stopped talking, and they went through the normal agenda items.“The next item on our agenda is the position of library director.”
Derek prepared to get up.“Should I leave?”
“No.There are questions that we have for you.First, as a board we’re impressed by the program you’ve started for sign language.”
“Yes,” one of the other members said.“We understand that you had ten people for the first class.Do you think this is going to build?”
“We’re hopeful.In the class, we had a family whose young daughter is deaf, and they need to learn to communicate with her and teach her going forward.We also had an experienced signer who joined us for the community and to help with instruction.There is also one of our patrons who lost his ability to speak while in the service.He was the person who inspired me to start the class.”
“What about long-term?Do you intend to continue leading and instructing?What about certification?”
Derek was ready for these questions.“First, the plan is for me to get the program off the ground.Ideally, one of the group would be able to step up and lead, with me in an advisory role.As for certification, we aren’t teaching medical or professional signing.This is designed for practical purposes.”He pulled out a copy of the materials and sent it around.“I got the materials free of charge through connections with the deaf community in Rochester.The author is a doctoral candidate, and my using and providing feedback on them will be helping with her degree.All of which costs the library nothing, and we are providing an important service that is lacking in the community.”He kept himself from smiling, because he was nervous as hell and pleased his voice didn’t break.
Grace cleared her throat.“Is it true that your sister is the connection in Rochester?”
“Yes.I learned to sign beginning at six because my sister was born deaf.She is now an accomplished dentist.I think it’s important to use all the resources at our disposal to better the community and the library.”He paused in case there were additional questions.“I have other ideas for programs, including expanded children’s programming all year long.I’d also like to look into a books-for-kids program where we get underserved children in the community books of their very own.”There were a few rumblings, but he continued.“If children learn to read and love books early, then they will the rest of their lives.”
Derek paused and looked around the room.Most of the board members were nodding their heads slowly.
“Thank you, Derek,” Grace said with a slight smile that faded.She pulled a piece of paper out of her folder before sighing, which was never a good sign.“I received an email from a patron about you personally, and frankly, it’s a little frightening.Apparently, you removed a patron from the library after he was intimidated by your boyfriend.”She set the page down.“It seems you have been using a friend of yours to intimidate patrons and members of the public.Can you explain this?”
Derek was shocked and for a second his mind skipped a few beats.“Of course not.Why would I do something like that.Who is the note from?”
“I’d prefer not to say,” Grace said, and Derek could feel the position he’d been hoping for sprouting wings and flying out the window right before his eyes.
Then it hit him and anger welled, but he tamped it down.This was not the time.“Is his first name William?”
“So you’re aware of this incident?”Grace asked softly, disappointment in her voice.
Derek cleared his throat.“William is my stalker.He comes into the library, sometimes with flowers, and has asked me out on a number of occasions.I have turned him down politely and professionally.He has shown up in restaurants when I’m out with others, as well as at my home.I have reported him to the police.One of the times he was in the library, another patron, who happens to be former military and unable to speak, apparently made him uncomfortable enough to get him to leave.”
One of the board members cleared her throat.Mary was usually quiet and tended to speak only when it was important.“So you were being harassed?”
“In a way, yes.William has been told on a number of occasions that his attention is not wanted.He has brought flowers, sometimes leaving them at my desk.I do not keep them and pass them to the staff.I have no interest in this man, and when he showed up at my house, which there is a police report to back up, he used threatening language.”
“And you believe that this note is part of that threat?”Mary asked.
